Efforts to integrate people with disabilities into community

Thu Hang -&nbsp&nbsp

Monday, April 17, 2017 | 14:03:27

(VOVworld) – The Vietnamese government and political and social organizations have promulgated policies for people with disabilities to share their difficulties, protect them, take care of them, and help them integrate into the community. Much attention has been paid to handling subsidy mechansisms and creating jobs for disabled people.

The International Rescue Organization has worked with the Association to Support Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans to hand over wheelchairs to the disabled. (Photo: Tran Hang)

Over the years, nearly 7 million disabled people nationwide have receied support from domestic and international social organizaitons.

Many programs have been implemented to increase public awareness about the rights of the disabled, publicize government policies and laws regarding the disabled, and support self-help organizations run by the disabled.

The Association to Support Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans has played a key role in linking sponsors and government and non-government organizations at home and abroad that support the disabled.

Luong Phan Cu, the association’s Deputy Chairman, said: “The association has launched programs to create many jobs for handicapped people and their families. There is a movement to help the disabled in new style rural development and programs to help disabled people in flood-stricken areas and provide health insurance to the disabled, orphans, and disadvantaged people. Humanitarian programs like “One Heart – One World”, “Merciful Heart”, and “Community Festival” have inspired generosity in the community and helped disabled people integrate into the community.”

A program featuring people with disabilities and their life (Photo: Cong Tam)

The Babeeni Embroidery Company’s branch in Hai Duong province has worked with the Association to provide vocational training and career guidance to 110 people with disabilities. 60 of them have been recruited and are paid about 260 USD a month.

According to Le Thanh Hai, the branch’s Deputy Director, “embroidery and sewing are suitable tasks for many people with disabilities. We have encouraged them through our company’s training courses. They are happier and more confident when they are productive. This supportive environment and encouragement changes their self-image and when they have completed the training, they can work like other people and this makes them more confident.”

With, and sometimes even without, assistance from the state and social organizations, many disabled people have begun to integrate into the community. Tran The Dat was born healthy, but acquired a disease which left him visually impaired. After a period of self confinement, he decided to overcome his feelings of inadequacy. He passed the entrance examinations of Hanoi University and the Open University and won a scholarship for a short course of study in Australia. He is now President of the Blind Association of Thanh Tri District, Hanoi.

“There’s no guarantee of absolute fairness in life. But that’s not important. I have successfully overcome my feelings of helplessness thanks to the encouragement of my family, friends, and society. I hope that more enterprises and compassionate people will provide more support to disabled people like me so that we can all integrate into the community,” said Dat.